A diabolic dilemma: towards fully automated train control or a human centred design?

Abstract ERTMS is the acronym for European Rail Traffic Management System and is the future standard for a European rail traffic management and signalling system. It enables interoperable use of the European rail network without the need to adapt onboard equipment to different national signalling and protection systems. ERTMS aims at a more dynamic use of the railway infrastructure by separating trains based on their factual behaviour and dynamic characteristics. It gradually replaces track bound detection and signalling by onboard detection. Depending on the level of sophistication it applies internal instead of external information and trajectory clearance by automatic train detection and ultimately, integrity control and a moving block protection. A track capacity maximizing strategy under conditions of punctuality and financial incentives for private railway operators creates goal conflicts at the operational level. This may erode the safety principle of separation in time due to minimizing tracking times and creates flow instability at the saturation points. Ultimately, train control automation may lead to driver free operations by Automatic Train Operations. Such a fundamental change in safety assurance concepts requires either a choice for an almost perfect reliable engineering design, implementation and operational strategy or a conceptual alternative for train control, applying a human centred design approach. This creates a diabolic dilemma for the next development phase of ERTMS train control systems, introducing a human centred design as a new approach for the Dutch HSL, the Free Ride concept.